In a recent NY 1 profile ,
Cheryl Wills had this to say about Dr. Muhammad: "A former professor of
history at Indiana University, Muhammad recently authored "The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime and The Making of Modern Urban America."
He says he is ready to take the Center into the digital age and is
eager to enlist the next generation to help him achieve his goal to keep
history relevant."

Please join Dr. Fulani for a lively conversation with Dr. Muhammad on Friday, February 24th at 6pm.

Re "Democrats go at GOP, each other" (Capitol & California, Feb. 13): In 2012 -- for the first time in living memory -- independent voters will play a major role in all of California's elections.

Thanks
to open primaries and redistricting reform passed by voters in previous
elections, all candidates now must run against each other in an open
field, where all voters can participate. To get elected, candidates now
need to win the support of independent voters. Independent voters have
no intention of giving that support away for free.

Independents
are deeply concerned about a political dialogue dominated by what's best
for the parties rather than what's best for the American people.
Independents want critical reforms to our political process to shift
that balance of power away from the parties and towards the voters.
Candidates looking to win their elections should take note of the
independent movement for nonpartisan reform.

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTINGLawmakers Pledge to Reform, But Gerrymandering Keeps Getting Worse (by John Avlon, Daily Beast) In New York, 186 state legislators swore to support non-partisan redistricting efforts when they ran for office in the angry, anti-incumbent year of 2010. Most came down with convenient amnesia when they got back to Albany. The brinksmanship has continued despite promises by Governor Andrew Cuomo to veto nakedly partisan district lines and the efforts of good government group coalitions like ReShapeNY (on which, full disclosure, I serve on the advisory board.) Not only are New York’s redistricting maps still not set, initial glimpses have shown the same old partisan games, with potential rivals drawn out into different districts by incumbents seeking to preserve their power at almost any cost. Mediators and judges are now looming over the legislative impasse. One key dynamic to watch is whether a deal is struck that would at least try to move a state constitutional change forward to create an independent commission in ten years’ time. The principle of short-term self-interest predictably outpaces ethics or honor. New York is one of only two states in the nation to have not yet even voted on lines that will be on the ballot this fall.

A Third Voice for 2012 (By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, NY Times) I know what I’d pay good money to see: an intelligent independent candidate just taking part in the presidential debates, because it would make both Obama and his Republican opponent better. One independent I’d like to see play that role is David Walker.

We Need More Independent-Minded Voters (David M. Walker, Former Comptroller General of the United States; Author, 'Comeback America'; Huffington Post) I was honored and humbled that syndicated columnist Tom Friedman this week suggested I consider running for president, putting me forward as a third choice to voters. But our need is bigger than for me -- or any other third-party candidate. And his column taps into a need that goes far beyond my work on fiscal responsibility and government transformation. Every day, I talk with people around the nation who take their vote seriously enough to not align themselves with one particular party. They are the new independent-minded voter. And we need more of them.

The Radical Center We Don't Need (Robert Kuttner, Co-founder and co-editor, 'The American Prospect'; Huffington Post) We already have a centrist party. It's called the Democrats. Obama's Democrats are to the right of Richard Nixon on most domestic economic issues. If Democrats had not joined Republicans in financial deregulation, we never would have had the economic collapse of 2008.

The Third-Party Myth (By Josh Kraushaar, National Journal/ 2012 Decoded) But in reality, third-parties only thrive when there's a political vacuum to be filled. Despite being a nominal independent, Bloomberg's views aren't much different than your average Democrat. Walker's stand on entitlement reform is embraced by many of the leading Republican pols, led by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan.

What makes a strong third-party candidate? (By Jonathan Bernstein, Washington Post/ PostPartisan) Near as I can tell, every third-party presidential candidate who took 5 percent or more of the vote was reasonably well known before the campaign (Anderson became well known in losing the nomination). That’s not to say that Walker or Goode couldn’t possibly “succeed” in some way, but neither of them really fits the profile of past successful third-party candidates. The truth is that the way it really works most of the time is someone with a big ego and the resources to make it happen decides to run and probably then fills in whichever issues seem to resonate. Starting with the issues is pretty much getting the whole thing backward. If you want to push some set of issues, try to get a major party candidate to adopt them. It’s a lot easier.

Different Stages "Sally and Tom (The American Way)" opens at the Castillo Theatre Feb17 (By Charles E. Rogers, Amsterdam News) With beautiful music by Grammy-nominated songwriter Annie Roboff, this dramatic musical follows Hemings and Jefferson's love affair over a quarter century as it becomes a scandal in the press, produces five children and forces Hemings to confront the relative privileges of her life and the injustices of slavery.

Musical about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings Comes to Castillo Theatre, 2/17-3/25 (Broadway World) Fred Newman, who passed away in July, wrote the book and lyrics of Sally and Tom, which was originally produced at the Castillo Theatre in 1995. Newman served as Castillo’s artistic director and playwright-in-residence for 16 years and wrote 44 politically engaged, experimental plays and musicals. He shaped the Castillo Theatre from its founding in 1984 into a unique kind of political theatre—progressive without being partisan, artistically and philosophically demanding while being inclusive of diverse audiences.

Musical Drama Explores Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings' American Story of Love, Slavery and Compromise

Jacqueline Salit, the president of IndependentVoting.org, long a player in New York City and national politics, is currently playing on a different stage - at the Castillo Theatre on 42nd Street, where she's appearing as Founding Father James Madison in a revival of Fred Newman and Annie Roboff's political musical, Sally and Tom (The American Way).

Running at the Castillo Theatre for six weeks from February 17 through March 25, Sally and Tom (The American Way) examines the 30-year relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings, a relationship that produced five children and embodies the wrenching conflict between democracy and slavery,and its legacy of racism that continues to shape America to this day.

In this polarizing presidential election year, with the meaning of "the American way" itself being hotly contested, Salit makes her acting debut in a play that examines the extreme power struggles and ugly campaigning that shaped our nation's course in the early years of the Republic. In an ironic twist, Salit - a political independent who is outspoken against party control of American politics - plays the author of the Constitution, a man who deeply opposed political parties but ultimately founded one.

Salit has a 30-year history in independent and insurgent politics. She managed Mayor Michael Bloomberg's three successful campaigns on the Independence Party line and was a key strategist in the effort to bring non-partisan election reform to New York City. Her book, Independents Rising, published by Palgrave Macmillan, will be in stores in August. "This is a totally new experience," Salit says of her role as a Founding Father. "I've performed as 'myself' at political gatherings and on TV. But it's very different to be playing someone else - a man, at that - who lived over 200 years ago. In this production, Madison is both a man of his time and can look back at his - and the country's - inhuman compromises. Performing the part hits me very hard every time we do the show." Salit shares the role with veteran actor and director David Nackman. The dates of the performances in which Salit will appear can be supplied.

Under the direction of Gabrielle L. Kurlander, the play is performed on three stages in its own surreal "history museum." The audience is seated throughout the performance space and among the exhibits, and is encouraged to interact with the conflicted history of our nation.

In addition to Salit and Nackman, the cast for Sally and Tom (The American Way) features Ava Jenkins and Adam Kemmerer in the title roles, as well as Sean Patrick Gibbons and Brian D. Hills. Musical direction is by David Belmont with Michael Walsh, choreography by Lonné Moretton; sets by Joseph Spirito and costumes by Emilie Charlotte Knoerzer.

The Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director, Diane Stiles, managing director) is located at 543 West 42nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. February 17 through March 25. Tickets are $35 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. Group rates are available. Tickets can be purchased through the Castillo Box Office at 212-941-1234 or at www.castillo.org.

Santorum Up 9 Points Among Republican Voters, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Obama Edges Santorum, But Romney Is Too Close To Call (Quinnipiac) Although this is Quinnipiac University's first national poll this year, all of the numerous surveys of key states this year, including Florida, Ohio and Virginia, show Romney doing better against Obama than Santorum. In this national poll, the president benefits from his 46 - 41 percent lead over Romney and 49 - 39 percent margin over Santorum among independent voters.

Third party option? - Americans Elect’s Elliot Ackerman and No Labels’ Mark McKinnon discuss the demand for a third party candidate and the possibility of a viable, non-partisan or bipartisan option in November. (VIDEO and TRANSCRIPT - Chuck Todd interviews, msnbc/ The Daily Rundown) McKinnon: >> well, it starts with leadership. it will relate to policy. it's highly unlikely that whoever is on the ticket will talk about policy that goes to simpson-boles idea. it seems obvious to everyone out there we need more revenue and entitlement reforms. we're talking about unity in the sense that we have to work towards solutions. once that happens at the presidential level, everybody else in the senate n the congress is saying if it's getting that reaction i better look at what's happening at my seat.

Analysis: Obama pitches middle while GOP eyes base (CBS News) "I think the president ended up looking like the responsible person in the room," said Lanae Erickson of the Democratic-leaning group Third Way, which has studied independent voting trends. "The Republican primary candidates went way out on a limb and will alienate themselves with independent voters," she said.

Not Too Late for Americans Elect to Win 2012 Presidential Election (by Douglas Schoen, Daily Beast) When Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s names were used explicitly, support for an independent was still at 25 percent, as one-quarter said they would vote for “an alternative unity ticket with a Democrat and a Republican as president and vice president,” while the rest of the respondents were split evenly. Support for the two major candidates moved up to 37 percent for Obama and 38 percent for Romney, only a very modest 12- or 13-point lead over an unnamed, independent challenger.

Obama Leads in General Election Matchup (Pew Research, from Santorum Catches Romney in GOP Race - Obama Leads Both in General Election Matchups) Over the course of the campaign, Romney’s image among independent voters has suffered substantially. Most notably, the number who believe he is honest and trustworthy has fallen from 53% to 41%, while the number who say he is not has risen from 32% to 45%.

Independent voters are rejecting Romney (By John Avlon, CNN) A new CNN/ORC International poll finds that 53% of independents have an unfavorable view of Romney, compared with 44% last month. It has potentially huge implications extending into the fall. Remember that independents are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the electorate -- reaching an unprecedented 40% in the most recent Gallup Poll.

51% - Independents Help Obama Build Lead Over Romney (Pew Research) Barack Obama now holds an eight-point lead over Mitt Romney in a hypothetical general election matchup, and he has gained significant ground among independent voters. A month ago, 40% of independents said they would back Obama over Romney – today, 51% say so. The percentage of independents on Team Romney has slipped from 50% to 42% in the last month.

Read more about Arizona Open Elections/Open Government here: Open Elections/Open Government will fundamentally change and reform our election process by
implementing an open primary system where the top two vote getters,
regardless of political party, will advance to a run-off election.

This will encourage more qualified and independent-minded candidates to
seek elected office – candidates guided by common sense instead of
extreme ideology from either side of the political spectrum. Even more
important, Open Elections/Open Government will open our election process
up to more VOTERS.

Why are counties not in planning districts? (LETTER Rapid City Journal by Kim Wright, South Dakota Voice of Independents, Rapid City) House Bill 1182 unfair to independent
candidatesHouse Bill 1182 seeks to revise the filing
deadline for the nomination of certain independent candidates. The
proposed revision reduces the timeline for independent candidates
to circulate nomination petitions for public office.

When Rep. Mark Kirkeby introduced this bill in the House State
Affairs Committee, he explained that there is a growing number of
South Dakota voters registering as Independent. This is a national
trend.
Currently the percent of registered independent voters exceeds the
percent of voters registered with either of the major
parties.

When asked his rationale for introducing this bill limiting the
time frame for independent candidates to collect signatures, secure
campaign resources and engage voters, Rep. Kirkeby responded that
it was an issue of “fairness.”

I did not have an opportunity to ask for clarification of “fair.”
If considering the concept of fairness, I would ask Rep. Kirkeby:
Is it fair that Independent candidates must collect considerably
more signatures than their major party opponents in order to seek
public office? How fair is it that registered Independent voters
are denied the right to vote in primary elections?

I would suggest that the rationale for HB 1182 is much more about
maintaining political party control than about equitable
opportunities.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Movements to the Mountaintop History as Collective Failure: Lessons from the Black populists Omar H. Ali February 19, 2012GREENSBORO, N.C.--Famously, George Washington lost almost every major battle during the American Revolution, yet he won the war. His final victory at Yorktown is embraced as an example of individual perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.

In our winner-take-all culture, we tend to glorify the winners, emphasizing the individual--from historical figures, such as Washington, to contemporary figures, such as Oprah Winfrey or Barack Obama. We learn about them as individuals who "make it"--on their own, through extraordinary acts, with vision, and a little bit of luck. The formula: They struggled, they failed, but pressed on until they won (glory, money, the war, the vote, the presidency).

But what if in history there is no such thing as "the individual" or "winning"?What if there is only the seamless process of collective creation--no victory (no defeat), only what people do together? Back stories--the ones you don't usually hear--can teach us about collective creativity, about the fleeting nature of winning and about the production of history of many people doing mostly ordinary, but sometimes, extraordinary things together.

What most of us learn about "black history" entails the people and/or movements that succeeded in making political changes--notably, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. But what about those who didn't make it to the mountaintop? What about the dreams that remain unfulfilled and the movements that failed?

Black populism, the movement of black farmers, sharecroppers, and agrarian workers from 1886 to 1900, was such a movement. It sought, but was not able to make, the economic and political reforms that were so desperately needed by a generation of Southern African-Americans coming out of slavery. Black populism was also the largest independent black political movement in the region before the modern civil rights movement. Read more ...

Omar H. Ali is associate professor of African-American history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and author of "In the Lion's Mouth: Black Populism in the New South, 1886-1900" (University Press of Mississippi, 2010).

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Andrew Gumbel, the ghost writer for Amanda Knox’s ex-boyfriend’s forthcoming Authentic Autobiography, has had his recent attacks on the Oscar Internet voting plan featured in The Guardian and reprinted in the LA Times as an “original” Op Ed.

He says The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was duped into accepting an Internet voting system for the vote on the Oscars in 2013. In the ghost writer’s opinion, a trustworthy Internet voting system is impossible to achieve with current technology. As “proof” he cites a list of anti-Internet voting extremists, including Ron Rivest and Alex Halderman (who are well known for having bullied West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant in a public forum on Internet voting.)

Leaning on Rivest, Halderman, David Dill, and a couple of others, Gumbel writes, “Computer security experts have warned [of] … cyber attacks that could falsify the outcome but remain undetected.” Well, that is one scary story! Imagine - Anonymous hacks into Oscar’s computer and votes for Bollywood’s Rakhi Sawant in every category, and nobody knows it was him! That would truly be a disaster!

But has anything like that ever really happened?

The answer is a big NO! Internet voting has been conducted in Norway, Switzerland, India, Canada, and here in the US in several places, including West Virginia. In every case, technical and political experts, including officials and the public, were satisfied that there were no undetected Leprechauns who snuck in and changed everyone’s vote.

As if that isn’t gunk enough, Gumbel then reveals that he told “the Academy's chief operating officer, Ric Robertson, … of the near-total unanimity of computer experts [that Internet voting was insecure].” He says Mr. Robertson was shocked at the news.

Only one little problem with Gumbel’s report. In every successful Internet voting event, there were dozens of experts who worked on the project, and who knew it could be done. So, no "unanimity" there.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

STATE: Partisan trenches (THE
PRESS-ENTERPRISE - Riverside CA) New voter registration totals from the
secretary of state once again show that the large political parties
hold a shrinking share of the electorate, while the number of
independent voters continues to grow. Democrats now compose 43.6 percent
of the state’s more than 17 million registered voters, while
Republicans make up 30.4 percent of voters. But 21.2 percent of
registered voters — more than one in five — now identify with no
political party.

Poll results show Rehberg-Tester Senate race in virtual tie
(By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian) Republicans made up 28 percent of the
Montana poll respondents, while 24 percent declared themselves
Democrats. A surprising 46 percent said they were "independent or
something else," which was the highest total among the mountain states
and far above the national average. Utah was the next closest
independent state (35 percent), while only 13 percent of Wyoming
residents called themselves that.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS4 Types of Independent Voters Who Could Swing the 2012 Elections (By Linda Killian, The Atlantic) They have come to meet Kathleen Curry, their state representative who in 2010 was running for re-election to the legislature as an independent write-in candidate, a serious uphill battle. Bruce Christensen, the mayor of Glenwood Springs, is an independent and a Curry supporter. He's lived in this town for more than 30 years, been an independent for all of that time, and been mayor for the last five. "The way you govern is you build consensus. You meet in the middle and everybody gives a little and you get something done."

AMERICANS ELECTAmericans Elect is not a Third Party, It’s a Second Nominating Process (By Darry Sragow - Americans Elect advisor, Attorney, Democratic strategist and USC professor, Fox & Hounds Daily) Rank-and-file American voters have never had so much power in nominating a presidential candidate. Already more than 350,000 people have signed up as Americans Elect delegates, and millions more have signed petitions to get us on the ballot in their states. With their participation we’ll pick a president, not a party.

Ron Paul’s Long Game (By Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine/ Daily Intel) Paul’s game is to trade his supporters for a seat at the Republican table.

For Romney and Paul, a strategic alliance between establishment and outsider (By Amy Gardner, Washington Post) The Romney-Paul alliance is more than a curious connection. It is a strategic partnership: for Paul, an opportunity to gain a seat at the table if his long-shot bid for the presidency fails; for Romney, a chance to gain support from one of the most vibrant subgroups within the Republican Party.

Reform defeated; so now what? - Most proponents of independent redistricting stop short of ‘no’ vote (Queens Chronicle) The new lines would set Queens Democrats Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) and Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) against each other, as well as Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside).

DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENTS (By Omar H. Ali and Donna Moser, News Observer) The widely-discussed yet continually misunderstood "independent voter" is neither ideologically driven nor a closet partisan (be it Democrat nor Republican). We are not "swing voters,"' nor are we "moderates." Rather, we come from across the political spectrum and the one thing we agree upon is the need to minimize partisan control over the political process.

The Impact of Independent Voters (WUNC) Host Frank Stasio talks with three of the event’s participants: Omar Ali, associate professor of African-American Studies and History at UNC-Greensboro; Donna Moser, co-founder of North Carolina Independents; and Brittany Rodman, a young, registered independent voter.

Will Open Primaries Shake Up Politics in Arizona? (Pamela Powers Hannley, Huffington Post) Open primaries -- where all candidates regardless of party affiliation are listed on one ballot -- would give voters, rather than political parties, a greater voice in government, says Ted Downing, Ph.D., research professor of social development in the Arizona Research Laboratories at the University of Arizona and one of the initiative's architects.

Will Arizona's GOP Self-Destruct? (By Terry Greene Sterling, Daily Beast) The Arizona GOP already has a set of challenges that it hasn’t faced before. Herstam notes that an energetic petition drive for open primaries is underway. If it gathers enough signatures in the next five months, it will show up on the November ballot. If passed, the open primary system will likely unseat extremists now in the Arizona legislature. Expect both parties to oppose it.

Note: It's too bad that Rob Richie and FairVote.org support closed
partisan primaries. This position goes against the increasing ranks of
independent voters who want and need to have a say in the first round of
voting.

FLORIDA PRIMARY

Romney sweeps most groups in Florida vote (By Tom Curry, msnbc.com National Affairs Writer) But in Florida, 18 percent of the electorate Tuesday called themselves independents. Romney won 41 percent of them, while Gingrich won 27 percent.

Florida should adopt open primary system (Written by Francis J. Merceret, LETTER Florida Today) Florida should adopt open primaries such as New Hampshire recently held. If the parties don’t like that, they can fund private elections or hold party-funded caucuses, as is done in Iowa or other states.

Florida's closed primary system coming under fire (By Jim Ash Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers) "I would like the parties to have a closed nominating system, but we don't want the taxpayers to have to pay for them," FairVote. Org executive director Rob Richie said.

Editorial: Let All N.M. Voters Vote (By Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board) Almost 200,000 New Mexicans who have taken the trouble to register to vote have decided not to declare an affiliation with a political party. And every primary Election Day, those almost 200,000 New Mexicans are told not to trouble themselves by casting a ballot.

Mo. Primary Election Looms (by Don Corrigan, Webster Kirkwood Times) The argument against the open primary in Missouri is that it allows pachyderms to vote on the donkeys' ballots and vice versa. Although I consider myself an Independent, I have upset some of my GOP buddies when I've told them that I've participated in their pachyderm primaries. I think open primaries make sense.